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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27318466">Clearing the Air</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatmanWhoLaughss/pseuds/BatmanWhoLaughss'>BatmanWhoLaughss</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Disney - All Media Types, Disney Princesses, Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s02e01 Beyond The Corona Walls, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene, Talking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:28:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,443</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27318466</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatmanWhoLaughss/pseuds/BatmanWhoLaughss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Eugene? What’s wrong?”</p><p>He sighs again, climbing the ladder to sit down next to her on the top bunk. His shoulders are tense, and there’s a sad look in his eye as he reaches for her hand. </p><p>“Are we okay?”<br/>---<br/>After Raps finds out about Stalyan, Eugene decides he needs to clear the air.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider &amp; Rapunzel, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Clearing the Air</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Look at me go, two one shots in two days. Finding new fandoms are the BEST.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey, Blondie.”</p><p>Rapunzel looks up from her journal to see Eugene standing in the middle of the room, rubbing the back of his neck. She’s sitting on the top bunk, but even from here she can tell he’s got something on his mind. She raises an eyebrow‒ he seems tense, a lot more so since the last time she saw him. She thought he was keeping first watch with Cass, and she didn’t expect to see him until morning.</p><p>“Hey, Eugene,” she says, closing the book and crawling towards the edge of the bunk. “Everything okay?”</p><p>“Yeah!” he says, with that patented Flynn Rider smirk. But the crack in his voice gives him away. That high-pitched edge to his tone only ever shows up when he’s nervous.</p><p>She’s confused, and slightly concerned, and it must show on her face, because after a moment, he sighs. “Well… maybe. No. I don’t know?” He’s rambling‒ another thing he only does when he’s stressed. He always tries to nervous-mumble his way out of whatever sticky situation he finds himself in. Usually she finds it impossibly endearing, but now she’s worried.</p><p>“Eugene? What’s wrong?”</p><p>He sighs again, climbing the ladder to sit down next to her on the top bunk. His shoulders are tense, and there’s a sad look in his eye as he reaches for her hand. </p><p>“Are we okay?”</p><p><em> That </em> isn’t what she expected him to say. She expected him to say something about the rocks, about danger on the road, or even to tell her that Shorty’s gone missing again. </p><p>“Wha‒ why wouldn’t we be?” She thinks back to their second failed marriage proposal, to everything they agreed to and the scorching kiss they shared. <em> Why would he think something’s wrong? </em> Is he upset that they have to wait longer to get married?</p><p>Eugene rubs the back of his neck again, and he still has that sad look on his face. “I just thought you might wanna talk. Y’know… about Stalyan.”</p><p><em> Oh. </em> Truthfully, Stalyan had slipped her mind, briefly, while her thoughts were preoccupied with questions about the rocks and Adira and that weird scroll. But now that he said her name, all the messy emotions come rushing back‒ the hurt when she thought Eugene was dumping her, and jealousy of Stalyan nad her pretty eyes and devil-may-care smirk. She’s not mad at him, not at all, but she can’t deny that this whole thing has been a profoundly weird experience all around. </p><p>Eugene must see something on her face, because his own morphs into a slightly panicky expression, before his eyes turn sad again. “Look, Rapunzel… I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you about her,” he starts. “It was a long time ago, back when I was a different person, and I never thought it would come back to bite us like this.” He laughs. “Guess that’s kind of par for the course for me, huh?” He sounds so <em> sad, </em>so ashamed of himself that she can’t help but frown. </p><p>Rapunzel scoots closer to him, reaching to grab his other hand. “It’s okay, Eugene.” And really, it is. She knows there are parts of his past that he’s not proud of, and some that he may not ever share with her. But she trusts him, and she knows that’s not who he is anymore, so she made a promise to herself a long time ago not to hold those parts against him. </p><p>“No, it’s‒” He lets out a frustrated sigh again, looking down at their joined hands. “I should’ve been honest with you, I know that, but I just… I didn’t want you to think less of me.”</p><p>Eugene FItzherbert is many things, but he’s rarely insecure like this, even around her. Seeing him so vulnerable like this, so eager to make things right even when it’s not his fault, melts her heart. He really doesn’t have anything to apologize for‒ once she realized Lance was in trouble, any animosity towards him faded away instantly. </p><p>“Eugene,” Rapunzel says, shifting even closer to him until she can lean her head on his shoulder. “Really, it’s okay. I’m not mad. I get it.”</p><p>“It’s okay to be mad at me. <em> I’m </em> mad at me.” </p><p>“I’m not mad,” Rapunzel laughs. It’s adorable that he cares so much. “I know there are parts of you that you don’t like. We’ve all done some things we’re not proud of.” She leans up to press a kiss against his cheek, smiling when he perks up a little. “It’s okay if you want to keep some things to yourself.”</p><p>Eugene sighs. “I guess I just hoped that this was one part of Flynn Rider that would stay buried, but I should’ve known it wouldn’t,” he mumbles. “I’m sorry everyone else got dragged into it.”</p><p>“It’s <em> okay, </em>Eugene. You don’t have to keep apologizing,” Rapunzel laughs.</p><p>She feels him chuckle along with her, and when she looks up she sees that his smirk is back. “Although, can you believe she’s still not over me after all this time? Guess I made quite the impression, huh?”</p><p>Rapunzel gives him her patented <em> Eugene, you’re being an idiot again </em>look, and he clamps his mouth shut. Her smirk morphs into a small smile, because he still looks adorably nervous. </p><p>“Right, right. Not the point,” he says, grinning sheepishly. Then his face grows serious again. “But you know I love you, right? More than anything.”</p><p>Rapunzel blushes, the way she always does when he says those words. “I know, Eugene. I love you, too.”</p><p>“Good. That’s good.” He leans over to kiss her lips, before pulling back to look her in the eye. “But I guess… if there’s anything you wanna know, about Stalyan and me, or… anything else, really, I’m an open book.” </p><p>Her heart swells again at how willing he is to be honest with her, but she just reaches over to loop her arms around his neck. She meets his lips with hers again, melting into it when she feels him responding. It still amazes her, how kissing him feels, and they never seem have enough time to themselves like this. </p><p>When she pulls away, his face is flushed, but his smile is back and that guilty look is gone from his eyes. “I don’t need to know every dirty secret about Flynn Rider, Eugene. I trust you.” </p><p>His smile gets a bit bigger. “If there’s ever anything you wanna know, you can ask, y’know? I won’t hide things from you anymore.”</p><p>“I’m glad. And Eugene?” She’s frowning now, remembering his earlier comment. “You saved my life, when you helped me escape the tower. And you’ve done so much for me since then. I don’t think there’s anything that could make me think less of you.” The insecurity in his voice really did scare her‒ it was a tone she’s never heard from him before.</p><p>His eyes turn hopeful again, and a small smile blossoms across his face. He lets out a nervous laugh. “I don’t know, Blondie. There are some skeletons in this closet that aren’t exactly princess-appropriate.”</p><p>“There isn’t <em> anything, </em>” Rapunzel says emphatically. “I’m really not upset. Sure, I was really upset at first. I mean, Stalyan and her pretty hair and… tall-person-ness and nice boots was a lot. But I’m not‒”</p><p>“Why, Rapunzel,” Eugene smirks, but there’s some apprehension in his eyes as well. “Were you jealous?”</p><p>“<em> No, </em> ” she says, but when he gives her a look that says he’s not buying it, she sighs. “Okay, so maybe I was a <em> little </em> jealous.” </p><p>“Sunshine.” Eugene shakes his head. “I promise, you have <em> nothing </em> to be jealous of. I wouldn’t trade you for anything.” He’s looking at her with that expression that never fails to make her blush, the one where he looks at her like she hung the moon and she’s the most important person in the universe. It never fails to make her smile, and right now is no exception. He smiles back at her, pulling her close again. Her head comes to rest against his chest, and for a moment she thinks about asking him to marry her again, their earlier conversation be damned. </p><p>Then Eugene speaks again. “Look, Rapunzel. The way I feel about you… I’ve never felt this way about anyone, and that’s never gonna change, no matter how many exes or mystical curses or weird black rocks try to get between us. Okay? I promise.”</p><p>She burrows further into his chest. “I love you.” She’s already said it once, but she can’t help but repeat it. He’s so cute when he’s so open and honest like this. </p><p>“I love you too, Sunshine. So much.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you wanna keep in touch, come find me on twitter @targaryenjedii !!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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